A Simple Ceremony
by KingOfStories01
Summary: Not too long after the defeat of Team Plasma, Black was given another chance to challenge the Elite Four. He was just asked to attend a formal ceremony and give a speech, given all the trouble it took to make this event. Shouldn't be a problem... right? Part of the Formal Writing Event hosted on the PokeSpe Discord, rated K just in case. Has some Black/White hints.


A Simple Ceremony

By PantheonFefnir

"I still think that it'd be perfectly fine if I was wearing my normal stuff, White! That's what I won the League tournament, too..."

"We've been over this enough times, Black. Even if that was the case, this is a special occasion. You're not just – lift your head, please – the League Champion, after all, but the hero who saved Unova."

Black obliged with White's request, moving his chin up. She reached around him, adjusting the black tie around his outfit's collar, and began tying it for him. Black glanced away, a light blush appearing on his cheeks. "Y-yeah, well, it wasn't like it was just me. You helped me too, White. And besides, I did all of that in my normal stuff, too!"

White sighed, shaking her head. "I know, Black. And if this were two years ago, I'm sure no one would care. But they're making a special exception for you because of everything that's happened since, and the Elite Four are making an appearance for you as well, you know. You need to make some concessions as well, you know." She lowered her hands from the tie, looking him up and down. "Besides, you look rather striking in this, you know. You should wear stuff like this more often."

Black stepped up to the full-body mirror sitting in this room, looking himself over. Thanks to White's aid, the tie now sat neatly atop his blue dress shirt, perfectly matching the black suit jacket worn over top. The black dress pants he wore underneath blended together perfectly with the jacket above, and while they felt weird on his feet, the dress shoes matched the rest perfectly. "I, uh, it's not really my style, White. But I guess it does look really good. Thank you for picking this out for me."

"You owe her way more than just thanks, Black. After all she – and Lack-two here – did for you, you should be a lot more understanding and cooperative. This took a lot on their part, too, you know."

Black glanced behind him at Cheren, who was standing in the doorway with Lack-two, Whi-two, and Bianca. "You're right, and I know it." He turned to White, grabbing her hands in his and giving her the most genuine smile he could. "Thank you, White, for helping arrange this. And..." Black turned to Lack-two, giving him a nod. "Thank you as well, Lack-two. I know this would've been impossible without you especially..."

~~~X~~~

"I guess it makes sense if you put it like that, Bianca. Cheren has always been one to look out for others, whether he's needed to or not."

Cheren took a sip of water, glancing at Black out of the corner of his eye. "You say that like you're not one of those I've spent more time looking after than anyone else, Black."

"Ahaha, I know, I know. Though I think I did alright by myself when I was traveling on my journey."

"That's because you just traded me for White as your source of supervision. You're hopeless if you don't have one of us with you, you know."

"I knew how to get around on my own anyway, I would've been fine," Black grumbled. "I had a map all around, and I still got to the Elite Four anyway."

"He did manage that, you know!" Bianca took a bite of the miniature pastry before her, the smile on her face since their arrival at the cafe still present. "Though it's a shame you never got to fight the Elite Four, even though you're still the League winner."

Black shrugged, leaning back in his seat. "What can you do, right? I mean, yeah, I would have loved to have been able to face them back then, but too much has happened since. But this a yearly event, so it's not like I can't ever try again. And I beat all the gyms last time, too, so it'll be eas-"

"If I may, Mister Black, perhaps there's an easier way than that."

"Huh?" Everyone turned to face Lack-two, who had been otherwise silent for their whole time at the cafe. "Uh, is there an easier way? I mean, I don't think they'd let me keep my badges..."

"Well, you couldn't do it by yourself, that's for sure." Lack-two raised his hand, showing his X-Transceiver to the others. "I may not have the clout I once did, but I do still have some connections. With a few calls and favors requested, we could try to arrange an opportunity for you to challenge the Elite Four."

A silence fell across the table, with no one quite sure what to make of that. No one doubted Lack-two's connections, as he WAS a former superintendent, but rather no one knew what to say in this situation. After a few seconds, Black was the first to find his voice. "Well, that's true, you could. But you could get in trouble, couldn't you? And bothering the Elite Four as well is-"

"We all saved Unova from Ghetsis fairly recently, that has given me some pull." Lack-two leaned in closer to Black, causing the latter to back away slightly. "And you proved instrumental in saving Unova from Team Plasma twice, Mister Black. To honor a request of yours would no doubt be the least they could do."

"Oh, and I could easily make an event of this, you know?" White chimed in from her seat next to Black. "It might take a few weeks, but we could arrange an event quite easily, you know? I know you wanted to help advertise the BW Agency after your victory, but we never got the chance two years ago. Well, if the BW Agency took part in making this event, that would be just as good!"

Black blushed lightly. "I-I guess that would work. I did promise Prez, after all. But that's a lot to ask you two, and I really don't mind waiting a bit longer for my dream."

"You all told me how important it was to work towards my dreams. To live each day to its fullest as I pursue my dreams!" Whi-two's eyes met Black's, a determined look on her face. "You should accept, Mister Black! You've worked so hard for your dreams, you deserve this chance to make it work!"

Black looked around at his friends, both old and new, and met their eyes. They all wanted this for him, he'd helped them and now they wanted to help him in turn. After a moment of silence, he nodded. "You're right! I-I'll do it! I should pursue these dreams of mine every step of the way! There's no way the Elite Four will stop me this time!"

~~~X~~~

"Your thanks is appreciated, Mister Black. But if you truly wish to demonstrate your thanks to us, you should ensure you conduct yourself in the most appropriate manner, and you definitely cannot lose. All our efforts would be in vain if you-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know already! You don't need to remind me." Black turned away from Lack-two, crossing his arms. "This'll go perfectly, and I'll definitely win, no doubt about it! All the training I've done for this day won't go to waste! So don't say anything about this going wrong!"

"Mister Black to the stage. Repeat, will Mister Black please report to the stage?"

An announcement came over the speaker in his room, causing everyone to jolt. Black looked around at the rest of his friends and allies. Cheren gave him a firm handshake and a nod, a proud smile on his face. Bianca hugged him, beaming brightly when she released him. Whi-two merely offered a small smile, while Lack-two simple nodded. Finally, his gaze met White, who gave him that smile that he never tired of seeing.

"Go on, Black. We'll all be watching your proudest moment."

Black left the room, approaching the stage. Despite all their reassurances, his heart was pounding a mile a minute. All eyes were on him before, when he was battling at the league. Why was he now so nervous. Probably that he was asked to give a speech. The speech would be a killer to give.

He quickly found himself on the offstage left side, his journey long partners having waited for him this whole time. True to White's nature, she had the BW agency prepare his Pokemon for this as well as possible. They were so clean that one would have been unable to tell they'd fought before, and various touches - such as cosmetics or filing - made their best features stand out all the more. He owed her much more thanks than he had thought before.

He looked to them, and each of them met his gaze. This wasn't merely his moment; this was their moment, all of them. For their sake, and his own, he had to just survive this event and then they'd be on the cusp of achieving their dreams. He stepped out onto the stage, his Pokemon behind him.

And he nearly turned to stone right there.

The crowd was no doubt much smaller than when he was at the league, but then, they were looking at all the other contestants and there to watch battles. Here, however, all eyes were for him and his Pokemon. Every action of his, every word he said. It was hard to take the pressure. Despite that, he willed himself forward, standing before a microphone on the stage.

"H-hello-!"

He nearly recoiled as his voice rang out across the stage from behind and beside him. The speakers were no doubt top quality for this event, and hearing his own voice blare out shook him. Is this really what he sounded like to others? But he had to try to continue on.

"H-hello! My name is Black, and I... uh..." Black found his mind fogging slightly as his nerves made themselves more and more known. "One moment, please!" He fumbled around in his pockets, eventually managing to pull a few cue cards from his pockets. White must've known he'd need this help. "R-right! My name is Black... wait, no, I said that already! I, uh... two years ago, my team and I, we won at the Pokemon League! B-but then, um... well, as was seen on TV, I..."

Darn his nerves! He wanted to be able to stand proud and speak as he'd rehearsed this whole time! He could see all his friends in the crowd, and even more faces stood out as well! He could spot Geoff, the janitor from Castellia! And Andy was there, in the back of the crowd! And Baker Chris, and Shoko, and Trish! So many people were here to see them, and he was losing it.

Before Black knew what was going on, Bo was at his side, as were the rest of his team. He looked to them, and could understand what their thoughts were. They were all exasperated with him, as expected. But their eyes were telling him something else, as well. After a moment, he understood what they were saying. It might not have been appropriate for a formal setting, but it was what he did. He'd be in his element for sure that way!

He placed the microphone back in it's stand, to the confusion of nearly the whole crowd. Three people in the front row all knew what was coming next. Cheren looked like he was entirely done with this event; Bianca was laughing, getting ready to cover her ears; and White's face looked as though she had expected this all along. He stepped to the very front of the stage, and his Pokemon stood beside him, all standing in a singular line. He took a deep breath, and, ready as he could ever be...

"WOOOOOOOAH!"

Despite no longer having the microphone to amplify it, nearly the whole crowd jumped as his voice echoed across. Their shock only amplified as all of Black's Pokemon cried out right alongside him

"I'M GOING TO TAKE ON ALL OF THE ELITE FOUR, AND I'M GONNA WIN! GRIMSLEY! SHAUNTAL! MARSHAL! CAITLIN! I'VE BEEN READY SINCE TWO YEARS AGO, AND I WILL WIN! BO! MUSHA! BRAV! TULA! COSTA! WE'RE ALL GONNA WIN, RIGHT HERE AND NOW! AND THAT'S NOT ALL!"

Black pulled open his jacket, pulling it off and turning around. There, on a sheet hidden on his back under the jacket, was a the BW Agency logo. He couldn't help but feel proud of how he'd kept this hidden from everyone. Originally, he had planned to unveil it when he made it to the Pokemon League, but there were just as many cameras on him now as there would be then, so he might as well, right? He pointed to the logo, shouting out the crowd over his shoulder.

"TO HAVE COME AS FAR AS I DID, I HAD A LOT OF HELP ALONG THE WAY! NOT JUST MY PARTNER POKEMON, BUT THE BW AGENCY AND ITS PRESIDENT, WHITE! SHE SPONSORED ME TWO YEARS AGO, AND SHE MADE TODAY POSSIBLE AS WELL! I'M GONNA WIN FOR HER AS WELL!"

Black turned back to face the crowd, a wide smile on his face despite struggling to reclaim all the air he had spent making his declaration. He noticed one of the cameras quickly scanning the crowds, eventually finding White where she was standing: her face was completely crimson, as all eyes were drawn to her after his declaration.

A hush fell over the crowd, with whispering and murmurs breaking out across the crowd. He had improvised this part, but this would be good, right? He didn't blow it... right?

"Well said, Black! You really are quite the man!"

Applause broke out from the audience at the voice coming from behind him. Black spun around, spotting Marshal striding out across the stage. The other Elite Four followed behind him, bemused expressions on their faces. Marshal stopped beside Black, clapping his back hard with a wide grin. "You took all my declarations to heart and have grown into a fine man there! Your audacity reminds me of Alder, you know! You've got us all pumped!" He grabbed Black's hand, raising it high – yanking Black off the ground in the process. "Let's hear it for Black! I'm sure he'll give us all a fight to remember!"

The crowd's awkward reaction to Black's improvisation completely disappeared, and cheers broke out across the entire crowd this time. Black's smile turned sheepish, thanking Marshal in his head for solving this situation. Grimsley stepped up beside Black, speaking concisely to him despite staring straight at the crowd. "I expect a great challenge from you after that declaration, Black. Now if only you could approach crowds with that same excitement. You can leave the rest to us, you can go back to your friends. Your lady friend must have choice words for you, I'm sure."

Black nodded to Grimsley, then bowed slightly to the remaining three before hurrying from the stage, his Pokemon following his lead. The moment he was offstage, he exhaled, glad that the curtains were now blocking him from the audience's view – and it seemed like Shauntal was now speaking to the crowd about this being a battle for the books.

"Blaaaaaaaaaack!"

Black nearly leaped out of his skin, hearing Cheren's voice call out to him as his friends rounded the corner of a nearby hallway. They all looked a mixture of amused and exasperated, except for White, who was hiding her face and expression from him with both hands – though the skin peeking through was still as crimson as he saw from the stage.

"Ahaha! I, uh, I think it went well enough, right, guys? I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I thought it'd be great if no one expected-"

Cheren sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I know, I know. At this point, I think we all know exactly what you were thinking. You're just as unpredictable as ever, and it's on me for not knowing you'd do something this crazy sooner."

"But it was great, wasn't it!" Bianca giggled, placing her hand on Cheren's shoulder. "He went from sweating bullet seeds to as confident as ever! And the crowd loved it!"

"I suppose so," Cheren conceded. "I guess that's something you've always had going for you."

Lack-two audibly sighed, shaking his head. "Though Mister Black is quite lucky the Elite Four were so accommodating. I guess thinking of battling them really does take up all his mind. Had they decided otherwise, this whole event would have-"

"It worked out, Lack-two, and that's what matters!" Whi-two interjected, smiling widely at Black. "Being so close to accomplishing his dreams is a big moment! If it were me, I'd struggle to contain my excitement, too!"

Lack-two shook his head, his expression as stony as ever. "I suppose it is too late to worry over now. But given how you've caught her off guard, perhaps you should spend your time thinking of White's feelings?"

Black immediately glanced at White, who was peeking through her hands at Black, her face still rather red. He rubbed the back of his head, stepping over to her. "A-ahaha, um... sorry I didn't tell you about this. I wanted to surprise you, but, um... sorry I put you on the spot? I-"

White quickly advanced forward, wrapping her arms around him. "It's okay, Black. It might've been unexpected, but you really kept thinking about fulfilling your promise the whole time. Thank you."

"I, uh..." Black's face was red as well, now, and he could tell his friends were loving how this was tormenting him. "No problem, you know? I'm a man of my word, and I keep my promises! You've helped me fulfill my dream, and I'll help you with yours! It's what we've done all along!"

White giggled, releasing Black. He could now see her expression was a wide smile, filling him with relief. "Of course, Black. I know that, so I'm not mad at all. But you better make sure you win, alright? After pulling a stunt like that, I'd never forgive you if you lost!"

Black nodded. "You bet! I'm giving it a hundred percent, so there's no way I'll lose!"

"I know." White glanced away from him for a second, though her eyes quickly returned to meet his. "You know, why not? For luck." White stepped up to Black, planting a soft kiss on his right cheek. "Now you'll definitely beat them."

Black's face turned a solid red, standing still for a second, to the amusement of his gathered friends. After a moment, he brought himself back to the world of the living, pumping his fists excitedly. "YAHOO! YOU BET, WHITE! NOW I'M REALLY, REALLY, REALLY GONNA WIN!"


End file.
